James at 15 (later James at 16) is an Americandrama series that aired on NBC during the 1977-1978 season. The series was preceded by the 1977 made-for-TV movieJames at 15, which aired on Monday September 5, 1977 and was intended as a pilot for the series. Both were written by Dan Wakefield, a journalist and fiction writer whose novel Going All the Way, a tale of coming of age in the 1950s, had led to his being contacted by David Sontag of Twentieth Century Fox. David Sontag had had a lunch meeting in New York City with Paul Klein, the head of programming at NBC. At lunch Klein said he needed a series for Sunday night. On the spot Sontag created the idea for a coming of age series seen through the eyes of a teenage boy including his dreams, fantasies, and hopes. Klein loved the idea and asked Sontag who would write it. Sontag (Sr, VP of Creative Affairs at Twentieth Century Fox) suggested Dan Wakefield. Despite the above unsourced account of the creation of the series, the on-screen credit reads "Created by Dan Wakefield."

Wakefield, who was born and raised in Indianapolis but eventually moved to Boston, said he chose Boston both because he wanted to write about a city he knew well and also because he was tired of television's tendency to give programs Los Angeles or New York City settings.[1] To update his own memories of growing up, the writer spoke with adolescents from Boston.

The movie premiered to high ratings, topping the ratings for the week of September 5–11, 1977,[3][4] with a 42% share of the viewing audience,[5] quickly prompting NBC to approve a series.[3] Associated Press writer Jerry Buck said of the pilot movie that it "captures the essence of growing up in America," adding, "It makes up for all the drivel we've had to put up with, such as Sons and Daughters and Hollywood High."[1]

The show was highly praised for its realism and sensitivity, with a New York Times reviewer applauding the program's avoidance of stereotyping characters: "Sly, a jiving black student ... has solidly middle-class parents deeply involved in classical music" and a lower-middle-class classmate discovers that her father makes more money as a plumber than James' professor father.[3]Tom Shales of The Washington Post said:

Not perfect, not revolutionary, not always deliriously urgent, James at 15 is still the most respectable new entertainment series of the season. Consistently, it communicates something about the state of being young, rather than just communicating that it wishes to lure young viewers. And if it romanticizes adolescence through the weekly trials and triumphs of its teen-age hero, at least it does so in more ambitious, inquisitive and authentic ways than the average TV teeny-bop.[6]

Critics also approved of its handling of James' first sexual experience, with a Swedish exchange student (Kirsten Baker) in the episode which aired February 9, 1978— at which point the show assumed the name James at 16. However, head writer Wakefield quit in a dispute with NBC over the use of the euphemism responsible for 'birth control' in the episode, as well as the network's insistence that James should feel remorse over his decision.[citation needed] Behind the scenes, the show's original executive producers, Martin Manulis and Joe Hardy, were replaced by Ron Rubin in December, 1977. Despite the critical acclaim, the show lasted only one season. Kerwin was actually 16 when the series began, and had turned 17 when it was cancelled, one year older than his character.

Kevin Williamson, the creator of Dawson's Creek, cited this show as a major influence on him and named it as an inspiration for his show:[8] "'Dawson's Creek' came out of my desire to do 'James at 15' for the '90s. It was very provocative and way ahead of its time."[9]

^Rena Pederson. "'Washington' no 'Roots'" (TV column), The Dallas Morning News, September 14, 1977, page 15: "... NBC landed James at 15 and Laugh-In in first and second place."

^Rena Pederson. "8 to air game — on tape" (TV column), The Dallas Morning News, October 5, 1977, page 14: "And James at 15, which scored a whopping 42 share of the audience with its pilot earlier in September, will move into the Man from Atlantis spot on Oct. 27."

^Tom Shales. "Facing the death of an old pal," The Washington Post, December 15, 1977, p. B1.